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London Forex Report: FOMC Into Focus

London Forex Report: FOMC Into Focus

London Forex Report: USD enjoyed a bit of a recovery last week, rising to its highest level in ten days following Thursday’s ECB meeting, Comey testimony and U.K. election. With no major bombshells delivered by the former FBI director in yesterday’s testimony, traders were able to shift their focus to this week’s FOMC meeting, were the Fed is widely expected to deliver the year’s second interest rate hike. Key for the dollar will be the extent to which the Fed keeps the door open to another rate hike in the second half of the year, even if it also plans to begin the process of tapering the bank’s massive balance sheet in the coming months. Such a scenario would likely keep the greenback biased higher.

EUR last weeks ECB meeting saw the bank as expected leave its key lending rates and its asset purchase program unchanged. And while the ECB statement did drop a reference to rates remaining “at or below current levels”, the tone of President Mario Draghi’s comments in the post-meeting press conference maintained a hint of caution and importantly, the bank’s own inflation forecasts over the coming years were cut. On balance, Thursday’s ECB meeting likely dashed some hopes that the bank would announce a tapering of its assets purchases at an upcoming meeting and reinforced the notion that an actual interest rate hike from the ECB remains a very distant prospect.

GBP Sterling tumbled by well over two percent at one point, hitting its lowest level against the dollar in eight weeks and its lowest level against the euro in seven months, following the shocking results of last week’s snap election. The gamble that Mrs. May had taken by calling a snap election in April was designed to capitalized on a perceived wave of popular support for the Tories and consolidate her power ahead of the Brexit negotiations. The move however backfired as the Conservatives ceded seats to the opposition Labour Party and as a result, now stands on much weaker footing with just days to go until the U.K.-EU Brexit talks begin. The pound stabilized as Theresa May managed hold onto her position as the nation’s Prime Minister, despite a chorus of calls for her to step down, and as she announced a coalition partnership with the DUP

JPY The Bank of Japan (BoJ) concludes a two-day policy meeting on Friday. Whilst we do not expect any significant changes to monetary policy, there is speculation that the BoJ may communicate about an exit policy. The decision is announced around midday in Tokyo. BoJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda will gives a press conference. While no changes to policy are expected, commitment to keeping long-term bond yields in Japan anchored could keep the JPY pressured, especially if the Fed sounds even remotely hawkish.

Technical: 1-3 Day View – Breach of 1.2750 concerns near term bullish bias and opens a move back to test the 1.26 pivot ahead of symmetry swing support sited at 1.2450, the near term upside hurdle is sited at 1.2770 ahead of symmetry swing resistance sited at 1.2842

Technical: 1-3 Day View – Near term as 110.30 contains upside reactions 108 will be a key downside objective. Over 110.50 opens 111 symmetry swing resistance a closing breach of this level would reset focus on upside objectives.

1-3 Week View – As 108.40 equidistant swing support survives on a weekly closing basis bulls will look for a grind higher to retest 115, a close below 108 negates the broader bullish theme and opens the psychological 100 magnetRetail Sentiment: BullishTrading Take-away: Short

Patrick has been trading for the past ten years. After liquidating several accounts in his early days he stopped 'gambling' and applied himself as a student of risk. Self taught and more self aware thanks to Mr Market. Patrick applies simple technical strategies based around market price and time structure to identify high probability trade locations.